Technical Articles

You may have heard of the term “grenade gears” when researching the Kohler K series engines. Even I have heard many people proclaim they throw the balance gears out when rebuilding their engine, and that they don’t do anything anyways. When asked why, people often site some anecdotal evidence of gear failure they heard through an internet forum. It seems to me that few small engine enthusiasts understand why balance gears exist, why they are important, and what causes premature failure. I …

The ability to detect, observe, and measure electricity is crucial when trying to understand how a tractor works and learning what you can do to fix it. The digital multi-meter is like a doctor’s stethoscope. It allows us to see the invisible force of electricity and measure how it interacts with the components in our engines and tractors. A digital multi-meter measures current (amps), voltage (volts), and resistance (ohms).For the sake of this article I am going to be focusing on digital …

Engine Science: Fixing the Rough Running Engine with a Valve Job By Norman Ng, iSaveTractorsWhen you encounter an engine that is hard to start, lacks power, runs hot, or just runs badly; your first thought may be to rebuild or replace the carburetor. You spend an hour spilling gas on yourself and afterwards your engine still runs poorly. Your valves may likely be your problem!The valve takes the most abuse in your small engine. It slams against your cast iron block millions of times dur …

Tractor Science: The Hydrostatic Transmission By Norman NgThe transmission allows an engine’s power to be multiplied and manipulated to drive your tractor forward and backward. It’s an amazing device that makes your tractor a tractor. This article is focused on a specific type of transmission: The Hydrostatic Transmission. We are going to use the Sundstrand Series 15 Type U as an example. This transmission was used on the Cub Cadet line of Garden tractors as well as many other tractors …

Engine Science: The Briggs and Stratton Flo Jet CarburetorCarburetors typically come in one of three orientations: Side Draft, Down Draft, and Up Draft. These refer to the how air flows through the carburetor. The different orientations offer advantages in the position they mount to the engine.The earliest design was the updraft carburetor. This updraft design allowed the carburetor to sit lower beside the engine to aid in gravity feeding fuel. Air enters the carburetor and is redirected …